More Than He Expected (5 page)

She opened her mouth to argue, but his words seemed to have
struck her temporarily mute. Alex thought this might be his opportunity to
finally kiss her again the way he ached to, but she recovered more quickly than
he’d hoped.

“What’s your angle, Alex?”

He eased back a little, an eyebrow arching suspiciously at her.
“Angle?”

“Yes. We both know I’m not the type of woman you usually go
for. I’m not some tall, thin, surgically enhanced glamazon with aspirations of
marrying well. Last time I was looking pretty good, but now I’m pregnant and
celibate. Both are adjectives that fly in the face of everything you hold dear.
I haven’t been to a salon in months or splurged on a new outfit that wasn’t from
a maternity store. What are you getting out of this?”

Alex smiled his most mischievous grin and gazed into her eyes
in the way that sent most women melting into his arms. “It hasn’t been that long
since we spent those fantastic few weeks together. Unless the hormones have
scrambled your memory, I think we both know full well what benefit I’d be
getting out of this.”

Gwen’s cheeks flushed red, her gaze breaking from his to look
down at her hand as it rested on her stomach. “What we had last year was great,
but I don’t understand why you’re putting the moves on me. Again. Especially
considering everything else going on. Have you alienated every woman of
consenting age in Manhattan? Are you that hard up?”

Alex snorted. “Hardly.” There were plenty to choose from, in
New York and New Orleans. He just hadn’t found any that caught his attention as
Gwen did.

“Then why me?” She looked up at him, a challenge in her dark
brown eyes.

She honestly didn’t think she was his type. Fortunately, Alex
had a very broad and adventurous palate where women were concerned. But even
then, Gwen was a beautiful, smart, funny, caring woman. What about that was
unappealing to a secure and confident man? It sounded as though her experiences
with less than worthy men had planted unwarranted doubts in her mind. She
wouldn’t need a break from men if she’d been involved with decent ones.

“Why not?” he retorted. “The two weeks we spent together were
fun. Neither of us had any overly romantic ideas about what was going on. It was
a perfect fling from start to finish. One of the many things I like about you,
Gwen, is that you don’t want more from me. So many women think they’re going to
change me, somehow. But I’m not about to tie myself down and be miserable for
the rest of my life. With you, I feel like I can put my defensive walls down,
relax and have a good time. To me, there’s nothing sexier.”

“Well, hell.” Gwen looked as though she had a smart retort
ready, but his explanation put all of it aside. “Alex, I—”

He charged in, capturing her mouth with his own and smothering
any words. Gwen was stiff against him for just a moment of surprise, then her
reservations were silenced and she gave in to the kiss. She softened, leaning
forward to mold against him and bring her hand up to gently caress his face.

She tasted just like Christmas. She’d told him once that she
kept handfuls of hard peppermint candies in the pockets of her scrubs at work.
Gwen almost always had one in her mouth. He’d nearly forgotten until the spice
assaulted his tongue and lured him to explore further.

Alex placed his hand on her hip and allowed it to slide up her
side, pulling her as close to him as their position on the pier would allow. His
fingertips stroked her heated skin through the thin, cotton fabric of her
sundress. The touch coaxed a soft moan from her mouth.

Her encouragement made him bolder. His right hand glided up
higher to cup the full swell of her breast. This time, his own groan of pleasure
muffled hers. She was so much fuller and rounder than the last time he’d touched
her. She was like a juicy, ripe peach in his hands, ready to be devoured. He
couldn’t wait to taste every inch of her and remind himself of anything he may
have forgotten about Gwen in the last few months.

“Stop.”

It was the word no man wanted to hear when he was caressing a
woman’s breast, but the soft whisper couldn’t be ignored. Alex reluctantly
pulled away, their warm breath still lingering in the space between them. He
expected Gwen to distance herself, since she had called the cease-fire, but even
she seemed hesitant to let the moment between them pass just yet.

“Why?” he asked, leaning his forehead against hers and closing
his eyes.

“I just… I can’t do this, Alex.”

With a sigh, Alex moved away and unfolded his legs to stand on
the pier. He reached down and took Gwen’s hands in his own. The touch of her
skin sent a tingle across his palms and up his arms, tightening every muscle in
his body with anticipation. Gwen eased her feet out of the water and planted
them firmly on the wooden planks as he pulled her up.

Instead of letting go, he tugged the full length of her body
against him for one last touch, one last kiss, in the hope she might change her
mind.

He’d forgotten she was pregnant until the only part of her body
to make contact was the press of her breasts and the round curve of her belly.
Their positioning was suddenly awkward, both of them pausing to see what had
halted the progress of their physical connection.

The heated moment between them suddenly disintegrated as Gwen
looked down and started giggling. “See, I told you. It is quite literally
man-repellant.” She brought a hand up to cover her mouth, but there was no
stopping her contagious laughter once she got started.

What she didn’t know was that her laughter was as big a turn-on
as anything else about her. Gripping her face with both hands, he leaned down
and kissed her again.

The laughter silenced immediately as she stiffened in his arms.
She didn’t pull away, but she didn’t give in to the kiss the way she had the
first time, either. There was a hesitation in her touch, even as the smashed
orbs of her breasts against the hard wall of his chest made him wild with
arousal.

When she refused to give in, Alex pulled away and shook his
head. He didn’t understand how she could deny herself something they both
wanted. This situation didn’t need to be as complicated as she was making it.
But he wasn’t giving up on this seduction. Eventually he would convince her that
he was right. This time Gwen took her own step back, looking up at him with
confused black eyes that twinkled with the lights of the house. Her breath was
ragged, every rise and fall of her chest tempting him with her out of his
reach.

“I’m sorry. I just can’t. Good night, Alex,” she said. At that,
she turned and walked back down the pier alone, disappearing into the night.

Four

G
wen awoke the next morning to the sounds
of voices in the kitchen. Rolling onto her side, she picked up her watch from
the nightstand and groaned. It was after nine. How had she slept so late?

She knew. Tossing and turning until well past three in the
morning probably had something to do with it. But she just couldn’t sleep. Her
mind was still racing from her kiss with Alex. Every time she closed her eyes,
she could see his smile. Every breath she sucked into her lungs was laced with
his scent.

There was no getting away from Alex and how badly she wanted
him. Break or no break, she couldn’t help her reaction to him. Her body
remembered his touch, and the taste she got last night wasn’t nearly enough to
soothe the need he easily built inside her.

But last night also brought the memories of their time together
back in full Technicolor. As much fun as their fling had been, it had worked
then because she was in a different place. An uncomplicated place.

Wanting Alex didn’t change the fact that the kiss on the pier
was a mistake. A fantastic, soul-stirring, spine-tingling mistake. She couldn’t
take it back, but she could keep things from going any further.

If she was that desperate for sex, she should try throwing
herself at Wade or Jack. Or the first guy she could find once she returned to
the city. Just not Alex. Giving in to him would be a bad idea. It might not seem
like it at first, especially when the rush of his touch surged through her
veins, but before the last of the holiday fireworks exploded, so would what they
had together.

This time, she just knew it would end badly. The pregnancy had
made her more emotional than normal. She didn’t want to make the mistake of
letting herself get too attached. Gwen could easily let herself get swept into
some kind of fantasy. Out of all her past lovers, Alex was the least likely to
stick around. Normally, that would be okay, but at this time in her life, there
was no point in even starting something when finishing it would be so
difficult.

Gwen ran her hand over her belly, pressing her palm in on one
side to feel the baby stirring. “When you grow up, you be sure not to fall for a
man like Alex, Peanut. You deserve the kind of man that will stick around and
offer more than just sex and some flashy gifts. That’s not enough.”

She felt Peanut roll in response, then drive an elbow or a foot
or something squarely into her bladder. Apparently she disagreed. The move sent
Gwen leaping out of bed and scurrying into the bathroom. It was just as well.
The day needed to begin, and Peanut was ready to go even if she wasn’t.

Last night Will had mentioned something about VIP tickets
they’d gotten everyone for a charity polo tournament today. It was supposedly
one of the highlights of the trip, and she had no doubt they’d paid a small
fortune for it. Both he and Alex had played on the Yale team in college, and
everyone was gushing about how great it would be. Adrienne and Helena were
putting together a gourmet picnic for dinner at the field. Emma had paraded
around in a variety of hats, getting everyone’s opinion on which one she should
wear. It seemed like a big deal to the others.

Gwen knew very little about sports outside of college football.
She was Southern, after all, so a basic knowledge of college football was
provided by her father in her DNA. She occasionally followed the basketball team
and even spent a semester as a little sister to the swim team, but that was
about it where athletics were concerned.

Polo was up there with croquet and badminton in the “obscure
sports for rich people” category. In the last two years of her friendship with
Adrienne, they’d both undergone a sort of baptism by fire into Manhattan
society. Neither was used to being around these kinds of social situations.
Adrienne had adapted fairly well. Gwen still struggled, but she quickly learned
there were few things rich people liked more than horses and wine. This polo
tournament was sponsored by a large, prestigious winery, so it was the best of
both for those who cared. No matter what situation Adrienne dragged her into, a
basic knowledge of equestrian activities and how the rainfall was in Napa this
year could save her from an awkward night out.

But the polo match should be fun anyway. She missed the energy
and roar of excitement of UT football games, although she knew this would hardly
come close.

By the time she emerged from her room, showered and dressed,
the rest of the house was up and about as well. Several of the ladies were
outside on the patio, but Gwen opted to crawl up onto one of the barstools in
the kitchen and keep Adrienne company while she straightened up.

“Good morning, mama,” Adrienne said with a smile. “Did you
sleep well?”

“Yes,” she lied. “Did I miss breakfast?”

“Not at all. The guys got up early to play a couple holes of
golf, so they ate a long time ago. The rest of us just finished.” Adrienne
pulled out a plate and scooped some scrambled eggs, bacon, fruit salad and a
biscuit onto it. “Here you go. I used your grandmother’s biscuit recipe, and
everyone was raving about them.”

The scent was heavenly. Gwen started eating, washing the tasty
bites down with the glass of milk Adrienne poured. Normally she hated milk, but
it was just one more sacrifice she was making for Peanut’s welfare.

“When do we leave for the polo match?” she asked.

“It doesn’t start until four, but we have to drive to
Bridgehampton for it, and I’m sure the men will want to arrive early. We’ve got
plenty of time if there’s something you wanted to do today.”

Gwen shrugged. “Actually, I’m happy to do nothing. I just
wasn’t sure when I needed to be ready.”

Adrienne smiled and leaned onto the counter. “I think you
should make the most of doing nothing while you can. That’s what this whole week
is about. I know polo isn’t your thing. You don’t have to go to the match if you
don’t want to.”

“Don’t be silly,” Gwen chided. “Of course I’ll go. I don’t even
want to know how much those tickets cost you, so I’m not about to waste one.
Anyway, anything we do here is better than working a twelve-hour shift and
sitting alone in my apartment.”

“You know, Will and I were talking… .”

“Nope,” Gwen interrupted, immediately recognizing her mistake.
They’d had this conversation at least three times, and she wasn’t interested in
rehashing it.

“Come stay with us,” Adrienne pressed. “You’d have your own
room and bath. You wouldn’t have to climb up all those stairs. Someone would be
there at night if there was an emergency with the baby.”

“I’m not living with you two.”

“It’s only temporary. Keep your apartment if you want, or let
the lease expire and save up a couple months of rent to take a great trip or
something when it’s over. You let me stay with you when I had no place to go.
Let me return the favor.”

Gwen appreciated her friend’s generosity, but there was no way
she was going to accept the offer. “That was completely different. You were
broke and homeless. I am absolutely, one hundred percent not hauling my pregnant
hind end into your honeymoon bungalow.”

“We’ve been married eight months. And a
three-thousand-square-foot brownstone hardly qualifies as a bungalow.”

“You’re still newlyweds,” Gwen said with a firm shake of her
head. “Single women without elevators have babies all the time. I will be fine.
Really, I’ll be better off than most of them, since when it’s over, I won’t have
a baby and all its crap to haul up and down the stairs.”

“What about staying with Robert and Susan? It’s their baby,
after all.”

“Robert and Susan live in a tiny place in Hoboken. They’d take
me in, in a heartbeat, but it wouldn’t be very comfortable for anyone. And I’d
have a longer commute to work. No thanks.”

Gwen could see the wheels turning in Adrienne’s brain. Her
silence made it appear as if she was backing down, but Gwen knew better.

Fortunately, the conversation was interrupted by the return of
the golfing posse. The five guys strolled into the house, dumping their golf
bags in the foyer and arguing loudly. Apparently there was some disagreement
over Wade’s handicap, the wind helping Jack cheat and whether or not it was
illegal to move your ball if it fell in the cart path.

She had no real idea what they were talking about and continued
to eat before her eggs got cold.

Will swept into the kitchen and wrapped his arms possessively
around Adrienne, pulling her into a kiss that elicited a catcall from one of the
other guys. That, precisely, was one reason Gwen wasn’t going to stay with them.
She wouldn’t be a lumpy third wheel in their romance. And she was pretty sure
she’d get depressed surrounded by all that mushy love stuff.

Alex followed Will into the kitchen and pulled a bottle of
water out of the refrigerator. “Get a room,” he challenged, looking at Gwen when
he spoke, giving her a wide smile and winking when no one was looking.

The eggs in her mouth were suddenly dry as Styrofoam. Her
cheeks were burning. Good lord. How could something as innocent as a flirtatious
wink have that kind of effect on her? This man-break was going to backfire. It
was supposed to help her get some perspective, but so far, all it had done was
make her more vulnerable to the same type of charming man who made her want to
take a break from dating in the first place.

Gwen took a big swig of her milk and stuffed a piece of
cantaloupe in her mouth as a distraction. She didn’t dare look up at him
again.

But she did catch Adrienne watching her curiously. Her green
eyes narrowed at Gwen for a moment before she turned and spoke to Alex.

“How long are you going to be back in New York this time,
Alex?”

He shrugged, chugging half the bottle of water. “The project in
New Orleans is under way, so I really don’t need to go back down there for a
while. My project manager, Tabitha, has it well under control. I was thinking of
doing a little traveling this summer, though. Maybe scoping out a couple
potential sites for my next project. Why do you ask?”

Yes, Gwen thought curiously. Why did Adrienne ask? And did she
really want to know the answer? Probably not.

“Well,” Adrienne began, “I’m worried about Gwen and that
apartment of hers. It’s just too many stairs, and she’s all alone without
air-conditioning.”

“I have a window unit,” Gwen grumbled.

“Like that is going to make an ounce of difference in the end
of August when you’re pushing eight months.”

Gwen shrugged. She’d made it through the last five summers
without AC. If she had to, she’d spend all her free time loitering at the ice
cream place up the block from her building.

“I want her to come stay with us until the baby is born, but
she’s being stubborn about it.”

“Are you trying to rally a gang to bully me into it?” Gwen
asked, hearing the edge of her accent creeping into her voice. After five years
in New York, it had mostly faded, but when she got agitated or tired, it came
out in full force.

“No, actually, I had another idea. Alex’s place is huge, and
he’s almost never there.”

Gwen nearly choked on the piece of bacon she was attempting to
swallow. Certainly Adrienne couldn’t be suggesting that Gwen stay with Alex? As
far as Adrienne knew, the two of them were casual acquaintances at best. If she
knew the truth, she’d certainly keep her mouth shut on that topic.

“I know you pay some woman to water plants and collect your
mail while you’re away. Why couldn’t Gwen stay there instead? You have that huge
guest suite that no one ever uses.”

Gwen’s eyes widened in panic. She would not go stay with Alex
whether he was there or not. It would just be weird. She turned to Alex,
expecting to see him appearing equally horrified. Instead, he was just sipping
his water and looking as though he were actually considering the idea. Surely a
man who couldn’t commit past two weeks wouldn’t dream of letting a woman move in
with him, even temporarily.

“I think it’s a little presumptuous to invite someone to move
into Alex’s place without talking to him first,” Will said.

Finally someone was speaking sensibly. “Especially since it’s
completely unnecessary.” Too annoyed to continue eating, Gwen slid off her stool
and planted her hands on her hips. “I am a grown woman. Y’all aren’t going to
railroad me into moving in with anybody. So stop wasting yer breath talkin’
’bout it.”

She winced at the sound of her Tennessee roots slipping into
her angry words. Before anyone could respond, she ended the conversation by
spinning on her heel and dashing out of the kitchen and into her room.

* * *

Alex watched the players move back and forth across the
field, but he wasn’t really paying attention to the game. Normally, he liked
polo. He had played for years in college, and the group they’d assembled for the
charity match was like the dream team of players. But he just couldn’t focus on
the game. Not when thoughts of Gwen kept creeping into his mind.

He glanced to his left and saw where she was sitting with
Adrienne in the VIP tent. Her bright teal dress and wide-brimmed white hat made
her easy to spot in the crowd. He was glad to see she was staying out of the sun
and resting for a while. The heat had been brutal today, and even though it was
late afternoon, it was too hot for
him,
much less a
woman in her condition.

And truth be told, he was going mad watching the beads of sweat
roll into the forbidden depths of her cleavage. The plunging neckline of her
dress had put her full breasts on display. She was wearing a gold-and-turquoise
beaded necklace that accented the pale breadth of her skin, but it had a large
teardrop medallion that rested just at the valley between the creamy orbs. He
had a hard time tearing his eyes away, and eventually, someone was going to
catch him.